¶ … person is born, the family, neighbor and the culture is the prime aspect through which they interact before they can enter into the outside world. The development of the personality of an individual is the synthesis of traditions, values, thoughts, feelings, and various other factors that is based on the cultural aspects. In this regard, the dissertation is about the ways in which personality and culture have a relationship to each other. The thesis paper has also discussed how culture leaves a profound impact on the development of the personality. How are Culture and Personality Related?

What is Culture?

What is Personality?

Is there a relationship between Culture and Personality?

How is Culture and Personality Related?

Conclusion

Works Cited

Introduction

Since the world has come to existence, people have divided themselves into smaller groups that have been named as civilizations and societies. These diverse civilizations with different norms, customs, traditions and values make the man a social animal. This clearly indicates the fact that human beings follows and practice particular frameworks of customs that not only presents their unique personality and appearance but also distinguishes them from other people.

In general, it has been believed that different and diverse societies and civilizations create a huge impact on the development of the person's thoughts, feelings and the ways they behave with other people. This universal and common perception has given rise to the new field of study of anthropology that lies within the broad arena of psychology. This arena of anthropology is focused on particularly the study of culture and personality in order to determine the similarities and differences in human development in cross-cultural scenarios (Bock, p. xiii-4).

The study of culture and personality is examined and analyzed through diverse angles that can enable the anthropologists to determine the associations between human behaviors in different societies and cultures (Bock, p. xiii-4). This field of study has gained prominence and significance in the recent times due to the reason that the relationship between personality and culture has been a hot topic of debate amongst the psychologists and other biologists.

The thesis paper intends to have a deep analysis and discussion on the topic of how culture and personality related to each other. Therefore, the dissertation also includes important and critical concepts of personality and culture. These concepts would create a basis for having an investigation on how culture is profoundly associated with the personality traits of an individual and their reactions in different circumstances.

What is Culture?

The meaning of culture is different for experts of various fields. The general and broad spectrum meaning of culture is defined as the characteristics of a particular society or group of people that is based on customs, beliefs, traditions, language, religion, social habits, music, arts, way of living, and so forth. This means that a culture can be seen in people's cuisine, writing styles, beliefs, clothing, music, and so on.

However, for anthropologists as well as various other behavioral scientists, culture is defined as the complete and comprehensive range of learned human behavioral patterns and interaction. From wide ranging meanings of culture, it is prudent to note that the complete set of human phenomena is included in the meaning of culture. These are the shared patterns that not only identify the personality of the member but also distinguish them from other people.

According to some of the experts, it is deemed that culture is one of the complex things to study in order to gain acquaintance and familiarity on how humans can behave in a particular situation. Therefore, it culture is an amalgamation of knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and other habits that can be acquired by man as a member of society. Therefore, the written languages, buildings, and other man-made things are purely the products of culture that reflect the cultural patterns of a society and not the culture by itself.

Besides, it has also been said that even though culture is a fragile phenomenon, yet it is a powerful human tool for survival and existence. This is usually due to the reason that it can easily be lost because, as the cultural norms and values exists only in human minds and are not carved anywhere. Nevertheless, the fact is also true that learning is the core element that passes the cultural heritage from one generation to another.

What is Personality?

Even though the human nature, common humanity, human thoughts and feelings are universally present with all the humans, yet the experiences of life, perspective and mind of the people can never be same. Personality is merely about different ways of being human. It is...

Personality on a broad spectrum refers to the consistent patterns of thought, feeling and behavior.
Personality of an individual refers to the blend of characteristics and qualities that makes a distinctive and unique character. The personality of a person is usually developed and shaped by the experiences and knowledge that is guided by a figurative configuration. In other words, personality is the combination of characteristics patterns that is based on one's thoughts, perception, beliefs, viewpoints, feelings, ideas, fears, plans, behaviors and the way of thinking towards an object, event, person, religion or a country that can either be in positive or negative form. Emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral response patterns of an individual make up an exclusive personality of an individual.

According to some schools of thoughts, personality of an individual refers to the complete set of physical, mental, emotional and social characteristics. It is also a set of distinctive qualities that not only separates them from others, but their charisma also makes them noticeable and stands out from the crowd.

Personalities of people vary and differ due to their different beliefs, culture and living standards. Behaviors and actions of an individual are immensely affected by their personality traits. This means that the particular actions or responses of an individual in certain situation are unintentionally caused by the personality that a person possesses. According to various experts, it is also suggested that biological processes and needs also influences the personality of an individual to a great extent.

Is there a relationship between Culture and Personality?

The puzzlement and mystification of the relationship of personality and culture emerged the new field of study of anthropology in the contemporary age. However, scores of vast studies and research activities on the subject matter of personality in primitive cultures brought the fact to the surface that there is close relationship between personality and culture. In addition, the studies also elucidated the fact that that man is a far more cultural being that it was envisioned by the psychologists.

The study of culture and personality had allowed the anthropologists to discover and gain knowledge on the similarities and differences in human development that is created cross-culturally. The child-rearing studies have also enabled the anthropologists to understand the relationship between culture and personality in a much better way (LeVine, p. 220-230).

According to some of the leading anthropologists, culture is the essential and prime component that leads to the understanding of how personality is developed and shaped, rather than biology. Anthropologists deeply studies and examines the various patterns and themes of cultures so that they are in better position to understand the impact of culture on the personality. Indeed it has also come to an observation that even though it has become a much complicated and complex procedure to trace the patterns of civilized societies due to the global cultural diffusion, yet there are primitive societies existing in various remote areas that have protected and conserved their shared personalities through their values, beliefs and rituals (LeVine, p. 23-29).

Anthropologists also claim the fact that culture and personality is related due to the reason that human beings have an adaptive behavior, who adapts and practices the rituals, customs and traditions of their culture from one generation to another, and which varies from one culture to another. Moreover, it has also been perceived that culture is the principal and key aspect that shapes the experiences of an individual during his childhood experiences. These childhood experiences eventually leads to predictable adult personality patterns, due to which it has been perceived that personality and culture have a deep connection.

According to modern era perceptions of anthropologists and theorists, it has been proclaimed eloquently that the personality of an individual does not have any existence without the culture. This undoubtedly expounds the fact that culture provides the context and framework that develops the personality. Besides, the early and pioneer anthropologists have given preference to the culture over the biological aspects and have robustly asserted that culture is the source of origin for a personality and not biology. The claims by numerous anthropologists have been made after investigating and studying various patterns and themes of cultures and its impact on personality of an individual.

The studies on the topic of relationship of culture and personality illustrate the fact that cultural characteristics that are shared amongst the individuals members of the society are reflected from their personality traits that are born into each society.…